Kayla’s Story

I am Black. I am young. I am a mother. I’ve had abortions. And I’m happy. Yet, the stigma on all of my identities means I get judged. This needs to change. That’s why I’m sharing my story, even with all the risks. I’m proud of my decisions.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was in sitting in jail because a bad situation turned worse. I was told I couldn’t have an abortion, and at 20 years old I didn’t think I was stable enough to be a mother. I was denied my decision. I will never forget that through my whole pregnancy I wanted an abortion and was denied access to it. We shouldn’t get poor health care just because we are incarcerated. Being forced into becoming a parent makes me want to be an even stronger supportive mother and advocate for abortion access — it makes me want to share my story. I love my son. I will continue to fight for his future, and I will support him and his friends through their reproductive decisions. I want young people to see someone who looks like them and has gone through the same thing.

During the abortions I did have, I felt really alone. I won’t ever forget those feelings. Because of the stigma, I didn’t have the support I needed. That’s why I’m excited to be in We Testify. I’m excited to be part of building a community that supports me and other people who’ve had abortions. I have always wanted to advocate around my abortions, but didn’t know how to do it, so this is a way for me to be myself while sharing my abortion stories. Sharing isn’t easy, but if we don’t even take the risk, who else is gonna do it? I can’t wait for the day we talk about abortion the way we talk about cars and pizza. I try to bring it up everyday in my workplace, and with my family. I want everyone to be comfortable with it. That’s my dream.